Trapped Within Two Worlds
by Symee-Sama
Summary: “I’m not her,” there were tears in Relena’s eyes, but she refused to let them spill over. “I’ll never be her, and I’d rather have you hate me, then touch me while you’re thinking of her.” She moved past him, needing to get out, get away from his thoughts
1. Wake Up Call

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

Trapped Within Two Worlds

By Symee-Sama

Relena Dorlian could never remember being happier. The world had been at peace for nine years, and aside from minor rebellions that had quickly been brought under control, no one had resisted the peace. Relena smiled at the man beside her, studying him. He had grown up in the ten years that she had known him. He was taller, and in her opinion, much more handsome. Relena blushed and Heero gave her a questioning look causing her to blush even harder. 

"Are you okay?" He asked her, and she nodded. There was no need to let him know what she was thinking. He didn't return her feelings, and would probably be embarrassed if she told him that she thought he was handsome. She resisted the urge to sigh. She had loved him for years now. It had been a crush when she had first met him, and she expected it to go away after awhile, but it hadn't. It had just grown stronger, and now, at the age of twenty-five, Relena was sure that she was in love with the stoic pilot. 

He was looking at her again she noticed, and she glared at him so would he mind his own business. Her glare didn't faze him though. Nothing did. He simply smirked at her, and turned to look out the car window. He had been her bodyguard for five years now. He had disappeared after the eve wars, and had reappeared three years later, requesting a position as her bodyguard. She of course, had hired him immediately. Even if she hadn't loved him, she would have. 

He was the best bodyguard that anyone could ask for. She hadn't even been hurt in the last few years, thanks to him, and there had been close calls, but she knew that he would never let anything happen to her. Protecting her was his mission, and he refused to fail in one. 

Her mouth twisted slightly. She had grown to hate the word 'mission'. She wanted to be more than that, she wanted to be his friend at least, but he wouldn't let her in. He wouldn't talk to her about his life, and she knew that he wouldn't appreciate her talking about the events in hers. She did sigh this time. She was in love with a stoic soldier, and no matter how hard she tried get past his barriers, she never would. 

She heard her vid-phone ringing, and she fished through her purse to find it. After several moments, she let out a triumphant cry, and pulled out the tiny phone, holding it in front of her face and opening the connection. 

"Hey Relena!" Hilde's face popped up on the screen. "How are ya?" Relena replied that she was fine, and asked about Duo. "He's the same as always." Hilde gave an exasperated sigh. "He just lies around the house all day, and expects me to do everything."

"I resent that!" Duo's voice could be heard in the background, and Relena smiled as he pushed Hilde out of the way, and took her place in front of the camera. "Hey Princess!" He said happily, ignoring Hilde's attempts to push him out of the way. "What's happening?" 

"I'm on my way to a meeting with Heero." Relena informed him.

"Really?" Duo arched an eyebrow. "We didn't interrupt anything did we?" Relena blushed. "Because if we did, we can call back at a better time." He grinned at her, and Relena couldn't help grinning back at him. 

"You should know by now, that me and Heero are nothing, but friends." Relena paused for a moment. "Actually, we're nothing, but business associates." She sighed, and looked over at Heero who was still staring out the window. "He never talks." 

"Aw, don't worry 'bout it, Princess." Duo said consolingly. "He doesn't talk to anyone except his enemies. You should be glad that he's not talking to you, or he might be threatening to destroy you or something." 

"He's already done that," Relena pointed out, earning a burst of laughter from Duo and a glare from Heero. "What?" She gave her bodyguard an innocent look. "You did! You ripped up my birthday invitation, and said that you would destroy me, and then you aimed a gun at my head, and would have shot me, if it weren't for my knight in shining armour." She pointed at the vid-screen and Heero looked at her with disdain.

"Duo's your knight in shining armour?" Heero asked incredulously. "You couldn't find anyone better?" 

"I tried," Relena retorted. "But the one that I wanted to choose was always running away and obviously didn't need a 'princess'." Relena realised what she had just said, and quickly turned back to the vid-screen. "Let Hilde back on the phone, Duo." Relena said sternly. 

"Fine," Duo gave an exaggerated sigh. "I can see when I'm not wanted. I think that I'm going to find something to eat." He gave a little wave, and moved aside so Hilde could use the phone again. 

"Honestly," Hilde sighed. "I don't know what I see in him."

"It's the hair!" Duo yelled, and Relena burst out laughing, receiving an annoyed glance from her bodyguard. She frowned at him, before turning back the screen. 

"So Hilde," Relena said quietly. "What's your news?" Hilde held up her hand, and smiled at Relena. "Duo proposed!" Hilde exclaimed happily. "It took years, but it finally happened! He said that he finally felt like it because of how nice Quatre and Catherine's wedding was." She scowled slightly. "Not the most romantic reason in the world, but I guess that's the best that I'd get out of that braided idiot."

Relena laughed again. "You know you love him, Hilde," she scolded. "So stop pretending to be angry with him." She stole a glance at Heero and saw that he was staring out the window again. "So when's the big day?" She asked excitedly.

"Um, we haven't set a date yet," Hilde said. "But we're gonna have a party this weekend to celebrate! Want to come?" Relena nodded. "Great! Everyone is going to be there. Even Wufei!" Hilde grinned. "Force Heero to come too, okay?"

"I don't know if anyone can force Heero to do something that he doesn't want to." Relena poked the stoic man beside her. "Do you want to go?" She asked him, and he shrugged. "He'll be there." Relena promised, and after saying goodbye to Hilde, she broke the connection.

"I never said that I would go." Heero told her. "I don't want to."

"You're going." Relena said absently as she placed her phone back in her purse. "Because Duo is your best friend, and this is going to be one of the happiest times of your life. You're not going to ditch him now, even if I have to drug you and drag you there." 

The car stopped, and Relena got out of the car, not giving Heero a chance to respond. She didn't want to give Heero a chance. She had given him too many already, and every single time she had tried to help him, he had refused her. She was tired of this. She was tired of bickering with him. She was tired of seeing him every day, but not being able to do anything with him. She was tired of him ordering her around like she was his subordinate. Maybe he even saw her as his subordinate. He never even said her name any more.

Relena stomped into her office. Her good mood was spoiled, and she was on the warpath. Heero came up, and asked her what was wrong, but she ignored him, and he was still standing in the corner waiting for her reply. She kept getting distracted. He was close, he was so close, and she could almost feel his eyes on her. She couldn't do her work this way!

She finally gave in and looked up at him. "What do you want Heero?" She asked, and he looked at her in surprise. "What is it?" Relena tapped her foot under her desk. "I haven't got all day you know. So tell me what you want, and then get out of my office." 

"What's wrong with you today?" Heero asked, and she resisted the urge to throw her coffee mug at him. She was so tired of fighting him. Tired of loving him, when he didn't return the feeling or even realise that she did love him. She felt so jealous of her friends. Quatre and Catherine were married, and Duo and Hilde were engaged. Trowa and Midii had been going out for years, and everyone figured that he would ask her to marry him soon. Even Sally and Wufei had a better relationship than she did with Heero. At least they talked to each other!

She flashed him her best fake smile. "Nothing's wrong, Heero." He frowned at her, and her smile became more forced. "Don't worry about me." _And please get out of my office!_ She wanted to add. _I can't think when you're around me!_

Heero shook his head. "You're lying," He said bluntly. "I can tell." He walked over to her, placing his hands on the edge of her desk and leaning over it until he was mere inches away from her face. She shied away from his closeness. "Tell me what's wrong." He ordered her, and her embarrassment reverted back to anger. 

"I don't have to tell you anything," Relena glowered at him. "You're only my bodyguard." She thought she saw hurt flash through his eyes, but when she looked again there was nothing. There was only the coldness that she had become accustomed to. "I tried to be your friend, but you won't even let me talk to you unless there's something wrong!" Her eyes narrowed. "Am I just a mission to you?"

Heero looked at her, his eyes seeming to focus on her as if he was just seeing her for the first time. He stood up and took a few steps away from her desk, knowing that she expected an answer from him. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words would come out.

Relena's mouth tightened when he didn't respond. "I see," she said slowly and stood up, gathering her notes. "I want your resignation on my desk within the week, Mr. Yuy." She organised her speech quickly, and made her way towards the door.

Only to be stopped by a very angry Heero Yuy. "Why?" He rasped, holding on to her arm. "I did nothing wrong. You haven't been hurt since I started. No one's even come close to hurting you!" For one moment, his barriers failed him and Relena could see the emotion in his eyes. "What did I do wrong?"

Relena's resolve hardened. She had given him his chance, he had blown it, and he wasn't getting another one. "You did nothing wrong," Relena assured him. "I found your work quite satisfactory and I'm sure that you will have no problem finding work with the Preventors or as someone else's bodyguard, but I just need a bodyguard who I can feel comfortable around."

 Heero's head was spinning. Why would she feel uncomfortable around him? He tried to think of why she was mad at him, and the answers came to him almost instantaneously. He didn't talk. He was too cold. He wasn't human enough. He was a murderer. A million more reasons came to mind as he thought about all his faults, and he slowly began to realise that she was right. Who could feel comfortable around someone like him?

He was pulled from his musing by the sound of her clearing her throat. "We'll be late." She stated dryly and brushed past him. "Do try to keep up, Mr. Yuy." She said before she walked out the door.

Heero growled low in his throat. It was bad enough that she wanted him to leave, but did she have to make it as difficult as she possibly could too? He let his thoughts consume him as he followed her down the hallway. Why was he so upset? He wondered to himself. It was just a mission, a job, and she was right, he could find another one easily. So why was the thought of leaving her tearing him apart? Why was he agonising over her words? He couldn't think of any logical reason for his actions and it angered him. He has always been logical. He had always been clear-headed and reasonable, but he couldn't think straight around her… Why?

His thoughts were interrupted as he followed her out onto the stage, and his instincts went on alert. He scanned the crowd for snipers, or for anything that looked even remotely threatening. Satisfied that there was nothing that could harm Relena, he let himself relax a little, and listened to her speech. His eyes still searched for dangers, but he found his eyes drifting back to her…

He saw her stiffen suddenly, and ran to her. Just in time to catch her before she hit the ground. "Relena?" He searched for her body for a wound, a bullet, blood, anything! But found nothing. She had just fainted. He lifted her up, and quickly carried her off the stage, ignoring the screams of the crowd. He had to help her…

Damn it! This was his fault! He had let himself relax, he had let himself be distracted, and now, something had happened to her and he had no idea what to do. Heero felt despair rising in him, and ruthlessly pushed it down. There was no time for that now. He had to help Relena. 

He carried her to the medical office that Relena had insisted be built in the building. Heero had thought that it was a silly idea at the time; Relena had wanted a doctor so the delegates could have someone they trusted working with them. But now, he thanked her for the idea. Now, they didn't have to drive across the colony to the hospital because they had their own able staff of doctors within the building. 

Heero gently set her on the narrow cot in the doctor's office, and stood in the corner of the room, while a team of doctors checked her. They were as perplexed as he was. There wasn't a scratch on her, she obviously hadn't been shot. They took blood samples, and two of them left to check for poisoning. They might have just said that it was a fainting spell it this had happened to anyone else, but this was the Vice Foreign Minister that they were treating, and they refused to take any chances.

Heero stared helplessly at the prone figure in front of him. _This is all my fault. He thought bitterly. _I failed her. I wasn't good enough._ He waited until all the doctors had left the room, and then he knelt beside her, smoothing strands of hair away from her serene face. _Please let her be okay._ He thought over and over again like a mantra in his head. __Please let her be okay._

* * * * *

Relena woke up slowly, shaking her head slightly to clear it. She looked around the dull beige room. Was she in a hospital? She discarded that idea as she looked at the cot she was sitting on. Hospital beds didn't have leather restraints on them. Had she been kidnapped? 

She placed a hand against her forehead, wishing desperately for the migraine she had to go away. She needed to be able to think clearly, and the headache wasn't helping. She surveyed her surroundings, looking for information and items that she could use to her advantage.

Okay, she had to have been taken by someone, because if she hadn't been taken by terrorists, there would be people she knew in the room. She knew that Heero, with his steadfast dedication to his mission , would not leave her until he was sure that she was safe, and if he hadn't been here, than her brother probably would have been in the room.

But if she had been kidnapped… Why wasn't she restrained? Why was she in a nice room with a big window that she could easily escape from? It just didn't add up. And where had her clothes gone? Relena stared at the white smock that she was wearing. It was incredibly baggy and fell well past her knees. Had they changed her while she was unconscious? She sighed, there was too much to process. 

Relena's eyes went wide as she realised another thing that was out of place. Tentatively, she reached up and felt the back of her head. Her hair! She gasped in surprise when she discovered that her hair fell in a long wave down her back. This was impossible! She had cut it to shoulder length a week ago, and there was no way that it could have grown back!

Relena's head snapped up when she heard footsteps coming down the hall towards her room. She needed some answers, and she would force the person who walked through that door to give them to her if she had to. She was surprised when a kindly looking doctor came into the room. She had been expecting someone… scarier. 

"Who are you?" Relena asked. 

"Hello," the doctor said in a pleasant voice as he took a seat beside her. "My name is Dr. Curtis." He smiled at her. "But you can call me Adam. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions, miss?" Relena shook her head. "Alright then, what's your name?" 

Relena gaped at him in shock. Wouldn't they know her if they had kidnapped her? It just didn't make sense. None of this made sense. She saw him looking at her expectantly, and remembered that he had asked her a question. "Relena," She said finally. "My name is Relena Dorlian." 

Adam nodded and wrote a couple things on his notepad. Relena strained to see what was on the pad, but could make out nothing. _What language is he writing in?_ She wondered. _I've never seen anything like it before. It's so different from standard._ She was pulled away from her thoughts when he asked her another question.

"Could you tell me your age, Relena?" He smiled at her and she felt her unease growing. She wanted to go home. She wanted to see her friends again, even Heero. She could sense that something was wrong with this place. Although Adam seemed like he was a nice doctor asking a patient questions, she knew that he was hiding something from her. She could tell that he already knew the answers to the questions he was asking.

"I'm twenty-five years old." Relena finally answered his question, and waited patiently while he made more notes.

"What year is it?" Adam asked, and Relena felt like hitting him. Why was he asking these questions? Everyone knew the answer to the last one. What did he think she was? Some kind of idiot? She glared at him, and he smiled gently at her. "I'm not trying to trick you, Relena." He said earnestly. "I just want to see what year you think it is."

"It's after colony 205." Relena said confidently, and watched while he made even more notes. She wanted to rip the stupid pad out of his hand. "Would you mind if I asked you some questions?" She asked quietly, and he shook his head. Looking at her expectantly. "Where am I, and why am I here?" 

Adam looked at her sadly. "Don't you know, Relena?" He asked in a quiet voice, cursing inside his head. He was so sure that they had been making progress. Relena shook her head, and he looked at her, searching her eyes for proof that she was lying, but found none. "Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself first." He changed the topic. "I know your name and age, but what about you?"

Relena looked at him as if he was an idiot. "I am the Vice Foreign Minister." She told him icily. "Everyone knows that, and I often work as a mediator between the colonies and the earth. I was once known as Relena Peacecraft, and I once advocated total pacifism, but I gave up those ideals and my name when I realised that total pacifism is unattainable without changing the hearts of the people. Now." She gave Adam a look that would have intimidated everyone she knew, other than Heero of course. "Where am I?"

"You really don't know?" Adam asked her, and she shook her head. "You've been here for thirteen years now, Relena. Don't you think that it is unusual that you don't know where you are?"

Relena gaped at him. How dare he tell her such a blatant lie and expect her to believe it. This was ridiculous! "You're mistaken." Relena told him angrily. "This is the first time that I've ever been here, so stop playing mind games with me, and tell me why I'm here!" Her hands clenched into fists. "Why did you kidnap me? What do you want with me?"

Relena put a hand to her head. She was so confused! None of this was making sense. This perfectly nice doctor didn't know who she was. Well, he knew that she was Relena, but he seemed surprised when she told him that she was the Vice Foreign Minister. How could he know her name, but not her title?

And what language was he writing in? Relena had never seen anything like it before, and she was fluent in many languages. Including standard, and all the dialects of the colonies. She should have at least recognised what the language was. Even if she couldn't read it. 

Adam looked at her carefully. "We don't _want anything from you." He said in a soothing tone. "And I didn't kidnap you. I also wasn't lying when I said that you have been here for thirteen years." He paused. "You've been here since your parents died in a car accident when you were twelve."_

Relena shook her head slightly. It couldn't be true! Her parents were killed in a revolution, and her foster father had died in a terrorist attack. Her foster mother was still alive. He had to be lying. This couldn't be true!

"The year is 2011." Adam said firmly. "There is no after colony calendar. There are no mobile suits, no Gundams, no war. There are no colonies. We haven't developed that far in space technology yet, and there is no place called the Sanq kingdom in existence. You were never the Vice Foreign Minister because it's not a real political office."

Relena was covering her ears with her hands now. She didn't want to hear this. It couldn't be true! Duo, Trowa, Wufei, Quatre… Heero. They had to be real! He was lying. Trying to trick her. She glared at him. "You're lying." She said accusingly and he looked at her in amazement, falling silent for what seemed like an eternity.

"You're at the Paris Mental Institution." Adam said finally. "The world that you live in isn't real." He gave her a pitying look. "It's all inside your head."

Author's Note: I didn't really know how to class this, because it takes place in the Gundam Wing world, but it also takes place in an alternate universe (hence the 'two worlds' in the title). So, take it as you will, and I hope that you liked it!


	2. Reunion

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

Trapped Within Two Worlds  
Chapter 2: Reunion  
By Symee-Sama

Relena sighed softly, resting her forehead against the thick pane of glass that separated her from the rest of the world. She hated it here. She absolutely hated being trapped behind glass, and fake mirrors. Did they think that she didn't know that they were watching her? She had smashed the glass once, and had seen the looks on their faces when they realised that she knew they were there.  
  
She wasn't insane! Relena buried her face in her hands to stop the tears that were running down her cheeks. They were real. She refused to believe that they weren't. How could her entire life be a lie? She had never been a political figure, she had never kissed a man, she had never fallen in love. It was all a lie. A trick of her mind to make a new world when the old one had become to hard for her to bear.  
  
Clutching her legs to her chest, Relena rocked slowly back and forth. For some reason, she felt like she should be in a closet, and had a vision of a little girl with tangled blonde hair hiding in the darkness. If she believed Dr. Curtis, then she had been in here for years. Her parents had been highly abusive, hitting her, and abusing her regularly. Her darling mother who she could remember so well in her mind as a kind, gentle lady had been a monster, leaving her bruised and broken in body and mind.  
  
Her parents had isolated her from people, refusing to let her establish contact with other children, convincing her that she was quite alone in this world. When they had died, she had hid in the house, not sure what to do until the police had found her, staring into the darkness without seeing anything. She had hidden in her closet, screaming when the men had touched her, crying and clawing at them until they had been forced to sedate her.  
  
She had read this in Dr. Curtis' file on her, and she still couldn't believe it. Everything that she had known, everything that she had loved was nothing more than a figment of her imagination, and her life, instead of being a glorious rise through strife to prominence, had been a downward spiral into hell.  
  
She heard a familiar laugh, and her head snapped to the side so quickly that it hurt. Duo? She thought incredulously, tears welling in her eyes. "Duo!" She cried, running towards him and wrapping her arms around him. "Duo, I can't believe that it's you!"  
  
"I'm sorry?" He looked confused. "Do I know you, lady?" Gently, he grabbed her wrists, and pushed her away from him. Relena looked up at him, shaking her head slowly. No... this was all wrong. His braid was gone. His hair only ran to his shoulder before curling inwards, and his bangs hung loose around his face. And he didn't have the same eyes. They weren't the eyes of a person who'd killed people for a cause. They were much too innocent, and... this was all wrong.  
  
Tears ran down Relena's face. She knew him, but he didn't know her. All the things they had been through, all the hours they had shared, he didn't know about any of them. Sobs wracked Relena's body, and she buried her face in her hands, turning from him and making her way back to her room.  
  
"Wait!" Relena froze at the sound of Duo's voice, a faint hope rising in her. "Miss! Did I say something wrong!" The hope died as quickly as it came, and she continued walking, shutting the door behind her as she entered her room.  
  
A knock sounded at the door, and she stared at it irritably before opening it. Duo stood there, his eyes full of concern. "Can I come in?" He asked quietly and when she nodded, he made his way to the bed, settling himself on the end of it.  
  
"I kinda got the impression that you know me, but I don't know you." He smiled at her, that smile that was so famous in the AC world. "Trust me, I would remember a fine looking lady like yourself. I want to know how you know me."  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Relena said sullenly, hugging her knees to her chest as she stared out the window. "You would say the same thing that everyone else does. That it's all in my head, and that if I want to get out of here, I should stop talking about it."  
  
"Try me," Duo suggested easily, reaching out to grab one of her hands. "I'm not going to promise that I'll believe ya, but I'll hear you out." He smiled again, leaning back against the wall. "There are worse ways to spend an afternoon than with a beautiful girl."  
  
She stared at him for a few moments, unsure of what to do. Was this a trick? A way for Dr. Curtis to find out if she still believed in the world that existed inside her head? She pushed those thoughts away as soon as they formed. Whether he remembered her or not, this was Duo, and she couldn't bring herself to believe that he would do something so underhanded. Not to her.  
  
And as she began to tell him about her life, and how he had become a part of it. She watched as the expression on his face began to change from mild interest to a singled minded intensity that scared her, and she wondered if she had been wrong about the Duo of this world.

......

Heero scowled in frustration as the wind blew softly through the trees, disturbing his papers and distracting him beyond belief. Damn it! This was just another thing to disturb his concentration. With a sigh, he rearranged his sketches and placed them in his bag. Didn't he have enough on his plate without worrying about finding a suitable subject for his art course?  
  
Grumpily, he glanced around him, seeing couples walking hand in hand, and kissing on the park benches. It was spring, and if you were a romantic, the season of love. Heero snorted, nothing better than clichés to make you bitter after a bad relationship.  
  
He thought of his last girlfriend, one whom he had loved, had wanted to share his life with, and he thought of how she had walked away, had left him without a single word. _Why'd you do it, Sylvia?_ He thought miserably. _Why'd you leave me?_ He closed his eyes, letting the wind move through his hair, and praying for answers that refused to come.  
  
They never did.  
  
He stood up, brushing the dirt from his pants and walking briskly down the street. There was no sense in trying to continue with this, he was late for lunch with his friends anyway. He glanced at his watch, and cursed, he was supposed to meet with them nearly half an hour ago. A small vibration in his pocket brought a wry smile to his face, chasing away his dark thoughts. That had to be Duo.  
  
"What's up, buddy boy?" Duo asked, intentionally being overly cheerful. He knew that Heero was most likely in one of his moods. He was still hung up on Sylvia, and that was one memory that wasn't likely to fade any time soon. "You're late."  
  
"I got distracted," Heero replied offhandedly, knowing that Duo wasn't fooled by his nonchalance. "You still waiting?"  
  
"The others already left for the movie already," Duo spoke in confidential tones, as if he was letting his friend in on a huge secret. "I told them that we wouldn't be coming with them today."  
  
"We're not?" Heero's eyes narrowed. "Where are we going then?" An idea wriggled its way into his mind, nagging insistently at him. "Is this about where you've been disappearing to for hours at a time?"  
  
"Well you're not going to believe this," Duo's voice got so low that Heero had to strain to hear it. "But I went to St. Margaret's a couple months ago, and the most amazing thing happened. I met an angel, Heero. A real angel."  
  
"At the mental institution?" Heero laughed, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice. "You're losing it. You found someone who thinks they're an angel and you believed them? I'm worried about you, man."  
  
"You don't understand," Duo snapped, hurt that his friend didn't believe him. "She knows things. Things that she shouldn't have any idea about. She knew about my name, Heero! She knows why my last name is Maxwell!"  
  
"If this is your idea of a joke," Heero threatened, a strange light- headedness coming over him. He was the only one that Duo had told about his last name. He was the only one that Duo had trusted enough, and even then, it had taken years before he had said a word about it. If this girl somehow knew about Maxwell, then there was something seriously wrong, and Duo, trusting fool that he was, wouldn't be able to see it.  
  
"I'll meet you there," Heero decided, and signaled for a taxi. "I want to meet this angel of yours."

_......_

_Cold...dark...wet...  
  
She was running, running as fast as she could. The rain drenched her, making the thin fabric she wore cling to her like a second skin. All she knew was that she had to get away... She knew that things were chasing her, and she knew that if they caught her she would never be free again. She would never see Duo again.  
  
They sent chills down her spine, and as she ran on, she noticed people staring at her, pointing at the strange girl wearing nothing but a hospital gown. More and more people joined the hunt for her. Doctors in their pristine white lab coats, their faces made hideous by anger and fear, men and women who tore down everything in their path in order to reach her.  
  
Relena watched with growing horror as a little boy, no older than two stumbled into the street, raising his arms to her, begging her to pick him up... but she ran past him. She couldn't afford to carry anyone. They would catch her if she did. She turned her head slightly to see if he made it to the other side of the street and was barely able to contain the scream that bubbled up in her throat.  
  
They had torn the little boy apart, waving around his limbs like weapons, and gaining on her. She kept running, and this time, when a little girl appeared in front of her, she didn't ask any questions, simply picked her up, and kept running, even though her legs were tiring, even though she was getting short of breath.  
  
Finally, she couldn't run anymore, and sank to her knees in the middle of the street, still keeping her protective hold on the child. She whimpered slightly as they surrounded her, those horrid doctors and the nameless evil that drove them.  
  
"Come back," one ordered her, his voice harsh and guttural, and Relena curled in on herself, screaming when one of them touched her shoulder. "We'll take good care of you. Just come with us quietly and we won't hurt you or the girl."  
  
She screamed again as she felt hands grab at her, forcing her to her feet. She heard them shouting too, sensed movement above her, and curled up into a ball. Almost wishing that she had never left the hospital, but then, as soon as it had started, it was over, and she was being helped to her feet by someone."  
  
"Duo?" She asked softly, tears of relief streaming down her face. "Duo, is that you?"  
  
"Sure is Princess," Duo smiled, and gestured towards a figure in the distance who was fighting what seemed to be a shadow. "But it ain't over yet."  
  
Relena watched, the feelings of fear and despair returning as she realised that it was Heero she was watching, and that he was losing. Sick with foreknowledge, knowing that if he continued to fight he would die, she ran forward, pushing her way past Duo. Right into the shadows that had followed her here.  
  
And moments before they ripped her to shreds, Relena heard someone screaming, and if she hadn't known better she would have said that it was Heero._

_......_

She woke with a small scream, afraid that it was still there, that it was still eating her, and hurting Heero. Inanely afraid that if she opened her eyes she would still be on those dirty streets with the crazed doctors... Shuddering slightly, she curled up into a ball and rocked back and forth.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Someone droned in the doorway. "She's acting like a nutcase."  
  
"Give her time, man." Duo's voice snapped, and she could feel his presence as he moved to stand beside her. "She has these dreams..." He sighed. "I don't know how to explain it, but she had these dreams that she can't escape from, that haunt her. So just... cut her some slack okay? She's had it pretty rough."  
  
Relena looked up, sure now that she had only been dreaming and that Duo and Heero were safe and whole. "Heero!" She launched herself into his arms, and buried her face into his chest. "Oh god, I've been so scared!"  
  
"Who are you?" His voice was harsh, his words biting into her. He held her at arms length. "Who the hell is she, and what have you told her?" He asked, all his attention on Duo now, and acting for all the world like she didn't exist.  
  
"Heero..." Relena moved back from him in shock, her eyes shifting towards Duo in askance. "You don't know me?"  
  
He shook his head and she fell back onto her bed, unable to support herself anymore. In an instant Duo was there, supporting her gently, and rubbing her back. "Easy Princess," he whispered, brushing the tears from her eyes. "It was the same with me, remember? I didn't know you, and still don't the way you think I should, but he'll listen, and he'll learn to love you like I have. It may not be what you want, but it's the best that I can offer."  
  
Slowly, she moved, wiping the last of her tears away and hugging Duo. "Thank you," she whispered back to him, watching sadly as he made his way towards the door. "For everything."  
  
"Not a problem, princess" he smiled his easy smiled, and with a last wave at Heero, was gone, shutting the door behind him. Relena stared at the man whom she loved. The man who didn't even know who she was.  
  
"Heero?" she began uncertainly, gesturing for him to sit down, and shrugging uncomfortably when he opted to keep standing. "What is it you would like to talk about?"  
  
"What do you know about me?" He spat, his face livid. "You may have sucked Duo into your tricks,. but you won't get me that easily. Tell me what you know about me and Duo, and how you know."  
  
"What passes between me and Duo is his own business, and if you really want to find out about it, you should ask him." Relena replied, trying to keep her dignity. "But I can tell you about yourself if you'd like."  
  
And she did, starting with what she knew, and of his abandonment as a child. She spoke of their first meeting, and of the role he had played in the fight for the earth. She even spoke of the troubles that had always passed between them, of his coldness towards her and her frustration.  
  
When she finished, he simply sat there, staring at her with his cold blue eyes. Most of it was bullshit. Giant robots, and wars in space. Things that could never happen. And him? A hero? Heero laughed harshly and Relena shot him a strange look. This was all too bizarre. He couldn't believe that Duo had actually believed this crap.  
  
"And what of Sylvia Noventa?" He asked her, his eyes challenging hers to defy him, to tell him more about this world that didn't exist. "What was my relationship with her in this futuristic world?"  
  
"You met her once," Relena began softly, wondering to herself why Heero would ask about Sylvia. "You had killed her grandfather and offered her the chance to kill you to make amends for it, but she refused, and that was that. You had no further contact with her except when she was visiting me. Her and I were... are good friends."  
  
"You're lying," Heero yelled, and Relena could hear the raw pain behind it. "Sylvia wouldn't be friends with someone like you! And I wouldn't kill anyone, especially if it would hurt her!" The last words were growled out, and made Relena wish that he was still yelling.  
  
"You cared for her," Relena said softly, and he nodded stiffly. "If it helps, she's happy in my world. She's very well loved by her family and friends. She loves her job, and she's doing great things for the ESUN."  
  
"The sports network?" Heero muttered, and Relena stared at him blankly. "Never mind. Is she in a relationship? Is she with someone?"  
  
"No," Relena shook her head. "She's never been involved with anyone for as long as I've known her."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because..." Relena took a deep breath, unsure of what his reaction would be, but knowing that it wouldn't be good. "She's in love with you, and has been since the day that she met you, but you've always had a strange fascination with me. A need to protect me, and watch over me."  
  
"I don't love you," Heero snapped, angry with himself for losing his temper over some ridiculous story. It wouldn't even sell in the tabloids it was so unbelievable, and he was glad that he had come and listened to her so he could keep Duo far away from this place.  
  
"No," Relena smiled sadly. "I don't think that you do in my world either. I'm sorry if I've upset you, Mr. Yuy by talking of Sylvia, but I don't think that she would want you to let grief consume you, she would want you to move on."  
  
"To you, I suppose," Heero snarled, grabbing her shoulders and shaking them violently. "She would want me to move on to you? And let everything in your twisted little story fall together, so you win and get everything you want while she's left with nothing?"  
  
"No," Relena tried to make her voice strong, but was unable to keep from whimpering at the pressure on her shoulders. "She would want you to be happy, whether it was with me or with someone else, she would want you to be happy."  
  
"You have no idea what she would want!" He threw her back against the wall, not caring when she cried out. "You shouldn't even be talking about her! I could kill you for talking about her!"  
  
"You're in pain," Relena gasped out as he reached for her again, his hand stopping inches from her. "But all that means is that you truly did love her. She used to say to me that 'love and pain are intertwined, and if you didn't care when someone left a relationship, then there was really no reason for them to stay'. You loved her, Heero, and you're in pain, but don't let it consume you."  
  
"I'll do whatever the hell I want," Heero said, managing to regain his composure and stared with disgust at the girl who cowered before him. He noticed the bruises on her shoulders, and the tears that threatened to flow down her face, and the disgust transferred to himself. No matter what they said, he had always prided himself on his treatment of women, but now? Now he was no better than a thug on the streets.  
  
Two thoughts warred within him. Should he stay and comfort her or make his escape? Escape won, and he turned to leave, doing his best to ignore her when her breath hitched in pain. "Stay away from Duo," he ordered and was gone, and Duo came in, his eyes wide with worry.  
  
"Oh Lena," he breathed, and carefully wrapped his arms around her. "He hurt you."  
  
"Yes," Relena agreed, leaning back into his embrace, not mentioning that it wasn't the bruises that were bothering her. "In my world, I love him, and he always kept his distance... a very careful distance between us." She laughed bitterly. "I fired him for that distance, but now I want it back. I don't want him to last out at me anymore."  
  
"He won't," Duo promised. "I won't let him." Guilt overwhelmed him, it had been his idea to bring Heero here. To let his best friend meet this 'angel' that he had been talking to for months. He'd had no idea that Heero would react this way.  
  
"He told me to stay away from you," Relena whispered, her words almost carried away by the gentle breeze that wafted through the window. "He doesn't want you anywhere near me and my ridiculous stories."  
  
"That's not his choice," Duo whispered back, tightening his hold on her, but still being careful of her bruises. "He doesn't have any say in this Relena."  
  
Relena relaxed slightly, glad that she wasn't going to lose a friend, and bolted out of Duo's arms as an image came to her. "Duo?" she began incredulously, "have you seen a girl with blue hair around your work?"  
  
"In the coffee shop?" Duo creased his forehead as he thought about it. "Yeah, there's one... she's kind of weird though. Gets the same thing every week, and then just sits in the back of the shop and reads."  
  
Relena smiled a small secret smile at the shocked and confused look on her friend's face. She could still picture Hilde in her mind, a beret covering most of her blue hair, as she studied in the back of Duo's work, and she could still see the glances that Hilde shot Duo when she thought he wasn't looking. "Her name is Hilde," Relena's smile grew, "and you should definitely meet her."

......

Relena slept uneasily that night. They had slipped the same sedatives into her foods as they always did, but today, instead of helping her sleep, they trapped her in it. Making her unable to escape her dreams of violent fights in other worlds. She was always involved, and Heero too, but the situation was always different.  
  
In one, they had gundam like machines destroying cities, in another they were back to using bows and arrows, and in yet another, they were special beings, able to destroy one another with a single thought. They kept coming, only stopping when she reached the world that she had lived in for so long, the after colony world.  
  
_Heero looked at her with his emotionless eyes, and reaching for the invitation she held, he tore it in half, letting the two pieces of paper fall to the ground. The wind blew between them, piercing Relena's already wounded soul.  
  
"But, why?" She asked quietly, not sure why her attempts at friendship pushed aside so violently, and unbidden, tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. Gently, ever so gently, he reached up to wipe her tears away.  
  
Relena looked up in surprised, her mouth opening to ask the millions of questions that flooded her mind. "I'll destroy you," Heero said tonelessly, and walked away from her, leaving her speechless and scared.  
  
What kind of person are you? She wondered silently before turning back towards her friends, and why are you this way?  
  
The scene shifted, moving its way through a life that Relena knew and loved. She could feel Heero's arms around her, could feel her pushing her away, but she still loved him, and she wanted to be there, wanted to be in this world she knew.  
  
"Heero," she whispered, watching him impassively as the scene shifted once again, this time taking her to an underground base, and she watched his face on the screen as Dekim shouted orders. She was numb with shock. He was going to kill her. He was going to shoot the base and kill her.  
  
Relena's eyes locked with his, and she could see the pain in them, the awful choice that he knew he had to make and she could see his eyes pleading with her asking for her forgiveness. She glanced around quickly, no one else had noticed his silent pleas, and turning back to the screen, nodded, placing a hand over her heart.  
  
"Heero," she murmured, not caring about the screams of the people around her as the base collapsed. All her thoughts were on the young pilot whom she loved. "Heero., please be safe."  
  
_Thousands of memories poured into her, until she thought she would burst, but then, when the pain threatened to overwhelm her, she screamed, wanting to go back, needing to go back. "Take me back!" She screamed at anyone who would listen. "Please! Send me back! Take me away from the hospital!"  
  
She opened her eyes, and sat up slowly, unsure of where she was. She w as still in a hospital, but she wasn't in her regular room. The entire set-up was different., and Heero was sitting beside her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise when he let out a hoarse cry, and pulled her into his arms.  
  
She blinked uncertainly at the unexpected display of affection. He seemed worried about her, legitimately worried about her. "Heero?" she reached out, brushing away strands of hair from his face. "What's going on?"  
  
This wasn't the Heero whom she had seen today, but it wasn't the same Heero whom she had left behind in her world. "We thought we'd lost you," he rasped, and pulling her even closer to him, kissed her on her forehead. "I thought that I'd lost you" He paused unsure of what to say. "Relena... I'm sorry for the pushing you away, just... please..." he grimaced out the word "please don't leave me like that again."  
  
"I can't promise that," Relena whispered her eyes filling with tears for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "I don't know how to control this, Heero. Just... tell me something. What year is it?" She was afraid of the answer, but desperately needed to know if this was real.  
  
"The year is After Colony 205." Heero answered, more than a little confused, and when Relena burst into tears, he comforted her awkwardly. "Why Relena? What does it matter?" But Relena didn't answer him, she just continued crying. She was home. She was really home.

Author's Note: Okay, I finally got off my lazy butt and wrote the second chapter for this fic. I hope you guys enjoyed, and again any comments/crticisms let me know.

Symee


	3. Torn

Trapped Within Two Worlds  
By Symee-Sama

Dr. Adam Curtis watched, his eyes impassive as Relena tossed and turned in her sleep. She had finally managed to do it, to jump the gap between worlds by herself. When they had brought her in here thirteen years ago, he had jumped at the chance to have her as his patient. Her mind had been phenomenally weakened by her abusive parents, and that made her the perfect subject to test his theory.

Given the proper circumstances, and materials, the human mind could be changed into something very different from the original. Enhanced in ways no one ever thought possible. Not only had he been able to change her physical features and insert thought barriers in that damaged mind of hers, he'd also managed to expand her extra sensory perception. It was a trait that all humans had, but few were able to access it, and even those who could were pitifully weak, but Relena... Relena was strong enough not only to read minds, and affect the actions of those around her, but to jump the gap between worlds, and project her mind to a world completely different from theirs.

It was unheard of, and it was going to make him a fortune. He could market the physical benefits, change your child or yourself into something to be desired, something beautiful, for a small fee of course. Adam smiled as he thought of the possibilities. In this world with its shallow values, he would make a killing, and then, when enough influential people had deigned to try his operation, he would activate one of the hormones that he inserted into their body.

He would be able to control everyone who used his product, just like he was able to control this pitiful child. There was no fear of her ever running away because all he would have to do is call her back, and she would come, obedient as a whipped dog. Just like tonight, he'd given her the order to try to reach the After Colony world.

Her powers were so strong now that all he had to do was think what he wanted and it was done. She had made the jump between worlds with minimal emotional damage, and he would let her stay in that world until he needed her. Then he would call her back.

He would let her think that she was home to stay, and then he would call her back, shatter all her hope, and by doing so, further bind her mind to his. She would always be his, and there would be a time, when the tests were done, when she had progressed far enough, that he would take over the world with that remarkable mind of hers.

Laughing softly, Adam watched as a young man with light brown hair that brushed his shoulders and violet eyes walked into Relena's room, as he'd done every day since she had made the jump. The young man pulled a chair to her bedside, and grabbed one of her hands, holding it tight in his, and then began to talk, of mindless, inane things. A girl named Hilde, his best friend, and how they were worried about him and his friendship with her.

He talked of how much he missed talking to her, and how much he wished that she would come back to him. Pull through this, he begged, and behind the fake mirror, Adam laughed at his foolishness. She would come back, but when she came back, she wouldn't be his Relena any more, she would be a tool, a mindless tool for Adam's use, and Adam's use alone.

. . . . .

Duo was in a rare foul mood as he walked into the apartment he shared with Heero. Relena was comatose, and she had been ever since Heero had gone in there and just torn her to shreds. He'd hurt her, both physically and mentally, and now she had gone back into a coma, just like she'd been for thirteen years before Duo met her.

A thought came to him that stole his breath away. What if she didn't wake up for another thirteen years? What if he never saw her again? Shit, what if she died? He stalked over to his roommate who was sleeping off a hangover, and shook him roughly. "What did you do to her?"

Heero reacted swiftly, catching Duo's hands and wrenching them away before he'd even had a chance to blink. "What the hell are you talking about Duo?" He asked groggily, pushing him away and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "What did I do to who?"

"Relena!" Duo snapped, glaring at his best friend. "You said things to her that hurt her, you actually bruised her, and now she's gone!" He slumped onto the edge of Heero's bed. "You didn't even give her a chance, man. You were against her from the start, and now... now she's gone. I can't reach her."

"Small loss," Heero shrugged, and turned away from Duo, ignoring the curious burning sensation in his stomach. "You're better off without her, anyway. Concentrate on Hilde, she's nice." He didn't flinch when Duo's fist snapped his head to one side. He knew it had been coming.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Duo yelled at him. "This is a human life we're talking about! It doesn't matter if you like her or not, no one deserves this! You've been like this ever since Sylvia..." His voice died as Heero wrapped his hands around his throat.

"Not another word about Sylvia," Heero's voice was dead calm, and that scared Duo more than fury or rage would. "I'm going to let you go now, and if I hear another word about her, or about your nutty little friend, I'll kill you."

He got to his knees, backed off a respectable distance, and watched as Duo stood up, stumbling back to the bed. Duo watched him warily as he massaged his sore throat. "You should be in St. Mildred's," he rasped, wondering how he was going to explain a bruised neck to people. "You're crazy, man."

Heero looked at his friend expressionlessly, before grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt, and throwing him out of the room. "Fuck you," he said without force as he shut the door behind him, leaning against it, and sliding to the floor. "Fuck all of you." He stared at the ceiling, watching the shadows dance across it.

He didn't need to deal with the problems Duo was having with his nutcase friend. Not now. Not when he had so much to do. Work, school, and that damn project that he still couldn't find a subject for. Not to mention... their anniversary was today, and he knew that Sylvia would be mad if he was late.

He glanced at his watch. He still had a good two hours before he had to be there. He would have a shower soon, and actually take time getting ready. It was important to him that he look his best for her... but right now, right now he would watch the sun and the leaves make patterns across his ceiling, and figure out how to make it up to Duo.

. . . . .

Relena smiled contently as she lay in Heero's arms. It was nice to be back, more than nice actually. After her illness, it seemed like everything had fallen into place. All her friends were happy, the world was at peace, and Heero had finally opened up to her, and to her surprise, told her that he loved her as much as she loved him.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked her, brushing a kiss across her forehead, and pulling her tighter against him. "You're frowning."

She smiled at him, and looked at the ceiling, watching the sun and leaves make patterns across it. "I was just thinking of the other world I told you about. The one that I dreamed about when I was sick... I wish I could've done something for the people there." She paused thoughtfully. "It's such a sad world to live in. The crime is ridiculous, modern medicine and science are light years behind us, and so many people die. There's so much pain... I wish I could help them.

"I've done so much in this world, maybe there was something I could've done there too." She laughed softly at the thought. "I'm being ridiculous. I was a mental patient there. No one listens to people whose sanity has been called into question."

Heero didn't answer, troubled by the fact that she was taking this so seriously. She was acting like she had actually been in another world. Part of him insisted that she was insane, another that it was only anxiety speaking, and yet another, told him that she was telling the truth, and that maybe she had crossed the gap between worlds.

He didn't know what scared him the most. That she might be insane, or that she might be able to travel far beyond his reach. "Tell me about this other world," he insisted gently, "the entire thing, not just an overview. What were the people like there?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Relena muttered, and suddenly found herself being pulled into a long, breathtaking kiss.

"Try me," Heero whispered against her lips, and she leaned back with a sigh.

"A lot of the people that are there are completely new to me, but they're all very friendly. They're all very kind to me in the hospital, but there are a few people there who I know intimately in this world." She caught Heero's confused look, and laughed. "I mean, that there's another Duo, another Heero, and I haven't met anyone else that I'd know in that world, but I know there's another Hilde, and Sylvia, and I'm sure that there's doubles of all the other Gundam pilots too."

The light in her eyes faded as she thought about the Heero in the other world. "You're not very happy in the other world," she admitted, her hands moving to rub the bruises that didn't exist on her body in this world. "The woman you loved left you behind, and you're still mourning the loss of her."

"But you're there."

"You don't like me in the other world. Duo's the same, very accepting, and wonderful to be around, but I'm told you just see me as some crackpot." She smiled humourlessly. "No, you're not very fond of me at all, but I suppose it doesn't matter, because it was just a dream, right?"

"Right," Heero nodded and when she tensed up, he looked down at her in concern. "Relena?" He shook her, but she didn't move, and her eyes fluttered closed. He placed two fingers around her neck, feeling desperately for a pulse, and when he found it, it was weak, and fading. "Relena!" He yelled, and pressed the emergency button on her watch. "Don't leave me! Don't leave me again!"

_Relena could hear him, and wished that she could reach out to him, ease his hurt. But he was far beyond her reach, wherever this place was, she had little power here, and could not manipulate her way back to her world. _

_She scanned the area quietly. She didn't like it here. It wasn't a natural sleep, nor a natural dream. She had been called here, but by who? She walked forward, shouting for whoever had brought her here to show themselves. _

_No one answered, and Relena was starting to get angry when a light flashed in front of her, and Heero fell in front of her. "Relena?" He looked around bewilderedly. "Where is this and what the hell am I doing here?"_

_She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I didn't bring you here." She watched him with no measure of curiousity. "Which one are you?" She asked carefully, and when he looked at her blankly... "Which Heero are you?"_

"_There's only one of me," Heero snapped, and stalked over to a window that had materialized out of nowhere. "We need to get out of here." He said, and looked back at her. "Do you know how to do that?" She shook her head, and he growled in frustration. "Well, then how the hell do we get out?"_

"_I only know a few things about it, and I don't know how far you'd want to trust those things." She smiled weakly. "Considering they were told to me in a dream... I know that I can jump the gap across worlds, any world actually, but I can only do it when I'm going through a period of heightened emotional stress. When I made the jump to the AC world when I was twelve I was severely depressed, when I made the jump to your world twelve years later, I was angry, and when I came back, I was sad."_

_Heero felt a small pang of self disgust at her last comment. He had done that to her. He was the one who'd hurt her, and made her unhappy. He pushed it to the back of his mind, as she moved towards him. "And I think I could bring people, even objects through the gap. So I should be able to bring you home."_

"_And where will you go?" Heero demanded._

"_I'm not sure," Relena lied, averting her eyes. "We need to find a way to make me emotional." She focused, and Heero started in surprise as three new people appeared in the room, their shouts echoing off the walls. "This will do," she whispered, and her eyes glazed over as she watched. _

"_Damn it, Doreen!" the man shouted, grabbing the little girl by the scruff of her neck. "I told you she was up to no good! She was trying to go outside again!" The girl let out a whimper, and he threw her away in disgust. "She's your daughter!" _

"_She's your daughter too!" Doreen shouted back, and grabbed the girl as she tried to crawl away. "Don't you dare run away from this, you little ingrate! This is your fault!" She smiled, and Heero's blood ran cold at the sight of it. "I think it's time for you to go to your room."_

_Relena let out a whimper, and sank to her knees as the scene shifted, and the room collapsed until it was only the size of a closet. Heero knelt beside her, trying to be gentle as he reached out to touch her, but she flinched away, sobbing silently. "Relena," He moved close to her again, this time giving her no chance to escape. "Stop this. There's got to be another way." _

_She looked up at him, tears running down her face. "But it worked." She whispered, and Heero fell back from her as her eyes changed to a pure white, and then everything went black as the world exploded around them._

Relena woke up slowly, and shook her head slowly to clear it. Where was she now? Which world had she made it back to? She shook Heero awake, and smiled at his sleep-clouded gaze. "What year is it?" She asked him, her smile fading when he glared at her.

"2011," he grunted, and watched with something close to pity as her face fell, and tears welled in her eyes. "Welcome back." He said, and got up, pulling on his coat. "I've got to go now. I've got a meeting with someone. I'll send Duo for you tomorrow."

"Why are you here?" She asked him quietly. "You hate coming here. You definitely weren't fond of me. The last time I saw you, you were threatening to not let me see Duo again, and now... now I wake up to find you asleep in my room, and you're telling me that you'll not only let Duo come to see me, but you'll send him? What's going on Heero?"

"He really cares about you," Heero admitted. "He was upset when you left, and I... I was doing this for him, but I've really got to go now." He said, almost apologetically, and reached for the door handle. "I'll send Duo for you tomorrow."

"You said that," Relena moved quickly, putting her hand over his, and stopping him in his tracks. "But I need you to do a favour for me. I need you to take me with you." He stared at her in horror, and she sighed, offering the only thing she could to him. "If you get me out of here, I'll take you to my world and let you see Sylvia."

"What makes you think that I can't just see her here?" He asked, and she smiled at him sadly. "You know she's dead, don't you?"

Relena nodded. "I can't explain it. There are things that I just know about people. It happened in both worlds. I could tell that despite your rudeness, your harshness, that you're a good person, and as soon as you started talking about Sylvia, I knew she was dead in this world." She held out her hands before her. "That's all I can offer that you'd be interested in. Please take me out of here."

"It's that bad?" Heero asked her, still undecided. "You don't seem treated badly here." Relena shook her head, and backed away from him, sinking onto the hospital bed. "Then why do you want to leave?"

Relena simply shook her head again, and watched him with her haunted blue eyes. Heero shrugged off his coat, and handed it to her. "Come on," he said, knowing he would probably regret this later. "You don't care if we have to stop somewhere before we get back to my apartment do you?"

Relena shook her head again, smiling now, and his heart tightened painfully, she looked like Sylvia. The innocent beauty, and the sad, haunted blue eyes. He scolded himself as he took her hand and led her out of the hospital. He couldn't get involved with a nutcase like her. Even if she did remind him of Sylvia, he would be with her for all the wrong reasons.

Her hand squeezed his as they walked into the street, and she looked at the bustle of the city, disoriented and confused. "I don't know what to do." She admitted, and he smiled at her, a smile that broke her heart and healed it at the same time.

"Just stick with me, and you'll be fine," Heero promised as he hailed a cab, and they made their way to the cemetery. He looked over at her, his mind brimming with questions he wanted to ask, and took one look at the dark circles under her eyes, and the weary look on her face, and decided that questions could wait. "Go to sleep," he ordered her, "I'll wake you up when we get there."

Relena opened her mouth to protest, and then stopped, and leaned against the window. "Are you sure?" She asked quietly, and when he nodded, she smiled, nearly stopping his heart. "Thank you." She said, and was asleep before they'd reached the end of the block.

Heero watched her silently, confusion, disgust and unmistakable lust warring within him. She was so much like Sylvia, but at the same time, she was different. There was something about her that Sylvia didn't have, other than the psychic abilities, there was something different about her.

Maybe it was the fact that even though she was in a mental hospital, she was much more in control than Sylvia ever was. Sylvia had been pure energy, always ready for something different, always ready to have fun, but Relena... she was much more reserved, much more self-conscious.

_She's got nothing on Sylvia!_ Heero thought angrily, disgusted with himself. He didn't like thinking about her this way. He hadn't thought about another woman this way since Sylvia had entered his life and he'd be damned if he started now, especially with a nutcase. _Why did I bring her with me? She probably can't do what she promised, and even if she could, why would she? She told me that story of hers, she's attracted to me in that other world. In love with me there, so why would it be any different here?_

"I keep my promises," Relena said simply, turning back to face him, and if she wasn't so angry with him, she would've laughed at the look on his face. "I can read minds sometimes." She reminded him, and crossed her arms over her breasts. "I don't appreciate you comparing me to your dead girlfriend. Especially when you don't really know me at all."

"Well, I don't appreciate you reading my mind!" Heero snapped back, not caring when her eyes clouded with hurt and indignation. "Do you always do this to people? Invade their minds and their thoughts?"

"Only when their thoughts are screaming to be heard." Relena replied tartly. "And I didn't need to read your mind to know that you resent me. You never gave me a chance, not even when we first met. You'd already decided what I was like based on your own biases."

"If I never gave you a chance, then why am I helping you now?" Heero snapped, wondering to himself where all her self-control had gone. There were so many emotions coming from her now that it was hard to tell them apart. There was anger of course, hurt, and regret, and embarrassment. What the hell was her problem? He was the one who was being imposed on! Risking his ass to get them out of that damn place, and now she was throwing it all back in his face!

"The only reason you helped me was because I promised you a chance to see Sylvia again." She said stiffly, furious that he was turning himself into the victim. "And I'll keep my promise, but there's something that we're going to have to get out of the way." She reached out and pressed her fingers against the sides of his head. "We're going to settle this. No more questions, no more accusations." _No more anything, _she thought, knowing he wouldn't react well to what she was going to do.

She was going to create a temporary bond between them. She wanted to know what it was that made him so bitter, and she wanted him to know exactly what she was going through. She'd put up with his bullshit long enough and she was going to settle this. Even if it was the wrong way. Even if he'd hate her for it afterwards. Even if it was an invasion of his mind.

She closed her eyes, and opened her mind, letting his memories, his thoughts, seep into her head, and forcing hers through to his mind. She had never done anything like this before, not even jumping the gap between worlds took this much of her strength. There was no resistance when she made the jump, but here, there was nothing but resistance.

He'd built up a wall around his mind, and she was tearing it down, brick by brick. Her eyes snapped open when she finally broke it down, and she took a twisted pleasure in seeing the shock in his eyes. _I did it,_ Relena thought triumphantly, as white lights exploded behind her eyes. _I did it._ She thought again, and let the darkness take her.

. . . . .

_Damn her!_ Adam thought furiously as he paced around his office. _Where the hell did she go?_ He managed to calm himself enough to look out the window, watching all the foolish people go through their pointless lives.

He had been so sure that his plan would work! She had been in the AC world, had been content to stay there. So what happened? Someone had called her out of that world, had forced her into the void between worlds and then jumped the gap to this one.

He'd been able to feel that. Even though his control of his extra sensory perception was nowhere as strong as Relena's, he'd been able to feel it. That meant there was someone nearly as strong as Relena. Someone who'd had none of the modifications that she'd had, but was still immensely powerful...

This provided new complications and opportunities for Adam. This new person, whoever they were could prove to be a serious threat to his plans, but if he could harness the power of this person, get them to work for him, maybe even compel them like he compelled Relena... there would be no stopping him. He wouldn't even need to market the product. He could just take over the world.

But he couldn't find her. He couldn't sense Relena, and even though he'd exhausted his mind searching for her, calling her. She couldn't be found, and she wasn't answering his summons. So either she had been able to break away from him, which was unthinkable, or she'd been injured in some way and was unconscious.

He needed her back. Not only to use her power, but to find out who had forced her from the AC world. He needed to know. He needed to know everything about this person, and how he could recruit them to his cause.

The blood drained from Adam's face as he attempted to call her again, and he collapsed against his desk, a triumphant smile crossing his face even though he'd been severely weakened by his efforts. He'd reached her this time. She'd finally fallen into a natural sleep, and she would be coming to him as soon as she woke up.

Adam laughed, even as he sunk to the floor. Victory was his. The world was his!

. . . . .

_What a day._ Duo thought miserably. _Nearly strangled to death by my best friend, another friend is comatose, and a girl that I'm starting to like told me that I'm not her type. Could it get any worse?_ He opened the door to his apartment, slamming it behind him, and stalking to his room, when Heero called him.

"Duo," his voice was shaky, and he was white, as if all the blood had been drained from him. "I need your help." He gestured for his roommate to follow, and staggered into his room, pointing at the bed. "I need you to get her out of here."

"Relena?" Duo gasped, "what is she doing here?" Heero gave him no explanation, simply gestured impatiently for Duo to hurry up. "Is she okay? She looks worse than you do." Duo sat on the edge of Heero's bed, taking Relena's hand in his. "We probably shouldn't move her."

Heero growled low in his throat, and sat on a chair across from his bed. "She did this to herself, I don't care if she's hurting." Duo shot his a confused look, and Heero sighed, explaining everything that had happened since their fight earlier today. "She invaded my mind, and took all my memories for herself."

"That doesn't sound like the Relena I know," Duo frowned. "Something's wrong, Heero... we need to help her."

"No," Heero crossed his arms, and glared at the woman who was unconscious on his bed. "You need to help her. I didn't want anything to do with her before, and I don't want anything to do with her now. Especially since she pulled this crap. She's not my responsibility."

"Fine," Duo said, too tired to argue with him. "Take my bed. I'll sleep here tonight."

"Making moves on someone who's unconscious is a small step away from being a necrophiliac." Heero smirked, and dodged the pillow that Duo chucked at him. "There are extra blankets in my closet, and you can use the pillows. Sleep on the floor." He advised. "Sleeping with people who are crazy can't be good for your health."

"You still think she's crazy?" Duo asked softly, and Heero stared at the unconscious woman on his bed for a long time before answering.

"I don't know." He said as he made his way to the door. "I really don't know."

Author's Note: Okay, this chapter is both an explanation and a continuation of the story. There were a lot of things explained... But I hope you're still confused about a LOT of stuff. If you are... good! That's what I want. grins Thanks to everyone who reviewed. It is so motivating to hear that people actually like what you write. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, and as usual, anything worth commenting/criticizing, send a review.

And if it's not _too_ much trouble could you also tell me what you're still confused about or what you _do_ understand? It makes it a lot easier for me to figure out what needs to be explained more. Thanks so much for everyone who reviewed last time, and just to make things clear... this story is not even close to the end yet. Believe me, I'm just getting started. evil grin

And thank you to Dan Inverse for giving me the idea of Heero in the G-world! eviller grin I've got some ideas about how I can work that in. And lastly, thanks to Ben, Michelle, Anna, and Dragon Agility for the beta reading!

Symee


	4. Shadow

Trapped Within Two Worlds: Chapter Four

Relena woke slowly, her mind blurred and unfocused from the previous day's exertions. She looked around, and smiled at the sight of Duo sprawled on the floor beside the bed, and was careful not to wake him as she got out of the bed. She pulled off her hospital gown, praying to God that Duo wouldn't wake up, and pulled on a pair of khakis and a t-shirt that she found on the desk. They fit her fairly well, and made her wonder why Duo had women's clothing in his room.

She shrugged to herself as she exited the room, shutting the door behind her. She could feel faint traces of the feelings of the woman who'd worn this. She had been so sad. Relena rubbed her arms as she crossed the living room to stand in front of the window. She could hear someone out there, calling to her, compelling her to return to the hospital.

She didn't want to, she was certain of that, but the voice in her mind was insistent. _You will not be hurt,_ it assured her, _I just want to talk._

A hand fell on her shoulder, and she jumped. "Heero?" She gasped, placing a hand against her heart. "You scared the life out of me."

"What did you do?" He asked her in a low voice, caging her against the window with his arms. "I can feel you, there in my mind. What did you do to me?" He was trembling with suppressed rage. She had destroyed him, changing into something he didn't want to be. A freak of nature who would be forced to share his mind with a woman he hated.

Her head snapped up at his last thought, and she looked at him carefully, before easing out of his arms. He made no move to stop her, just like she knew he wouldn't. "I can understand your feelings on this," she said quietly. "I was mad, and what I did was inexcusable. I tried to break down the barriers of your mind, so I could understand you."

"You invaded my mind." He snapped, and moved away from her before he got mad enough to do some serious damage.

She noticed the movement, and caught the thoughts in his mind, and decided to be brief. "It wasn't quite an invasion of your mind. I had only just broken down the barriers you had put up before I lost consciousness. I didn't see anything."

He lunged for her, anger overwhelming reason, and shook her like a rag doll. "Then why are you in my head? Get out."

Physical contact made the bond stronger, and he could feel her. He could feel his hands on her arms, and knew that he was gripping her tightly enough to leave bruises. He could feel the resignation she felt, it was like a heavy weight pressing down on her mind. _Just give in,_ it whispered, _just give up and let it all go away. _

He could see images of her dead, or worse, a mental vegetable because her powers were too much for her to handle. There was a part of her, a very strong part of her that wanted to let go. She had been ripped away from everything she had known, been threatened, and abused.

He pulled away from her, and studied her silently. She was wearing Sylvia's clothes, and in the early morning light, she looked identical to the woman he had loved. He felt the first stirrings of desire in the pit of his stomach, and had to look away before he did something that he regretted.

"I'm not her," there were tears in Relena's eyes, but she refused to let them spill over. "I'll never be her, and I'd rather have you hate me, then touch me while you're thinking of her." She moved past him, needing to get out, get away from his thoughts.

"I'll be back in a little while," she said quietly, opening the door, and preparing to step out in her bare feet.

"Take the sandals," Heero ordered and all but threw them at her. "You can't walk barefoot in the city, people will think you're insane." His eyes jerked up to meet hers as he realised what he said, equal amounts of guilt and pride rising in him.

"The thing about living in a mental institution all your life," Relena began as she pulled on the sandals, "is that you get used to being thought of as insane."

Heero stared at the door for a few long minutes after she had closed it behind her. He just didn't know what to do with her anymore. He was attracted to her. Angry as hell, but still attracted to her. He didn't want that attraction, he wanted Sylvia, and as she had said herself, she would never be the woman he loved.

He thought about what had just been said, and remembered the feelings that had overwhelmed him when he had touched her. That was it, he decided. It was that he felt sorry for her. That was why he'd felt attracted to her.

He could still feel her in his mind, and wondered if she could still hear his thoughts. He shuddered at the thought. It was an invasion. A complete invasion of something that should have belonged to only him. He hated it.

_It's not like I wanted to be connected to you._ Heero jumped as Relena spoke in his mind. _I only wanted to find out more about you, this connection never should have happened._

_Then undo it! _He thought angrily._ I don't want this! _

He felt something that he figured was a sigh._ I can teach you how to only let people hear what you want them to, but it'll take time._

_Teach me now._ He ordered, and felt another sigh echo through his mind. _Tell me how to get you out._

_Like I said, it will take time_. Relena said quietly. _For the moment, try emptying your mind. I'll do my best to block out your thoughts, and when I return, we'll work on completely blocking your mind from mine._

Curiosity overcame anger, and Heero looked out the window in vain to see her. _Where are you going?_

_That's none of your concern_. Relena answered quickly, and threw up impromptu mental barriers.

Heero tried calling her again, and felt a strange barrier that prevented him from reaching her. He shrugged. No skin off his ass if she wanted to get out of his head. He told himself that he preferred it, but for a reason that he refused to acknowledge, he stood by the window, watching the people on the street below, as he tried to empty his mind as she told him to.

For some reason, she knew the way back to the hospital. Relena found that she was easily able to navigate the strange and unfamiliar streets, and stood in front of the hospital a mere hour after she had left the apartment. She didn't want to be back here, she knew that, but she felt that she had to go in.

Dr. Curtis was waiting for her outside, taking her arm and walking her away from the premises. "It's nice to see you again, Relena." He murmured as he lead her to a small café that overlooked the lake. "We were all very worried about you."

"I'm never going back in there," Relena said through gritted teeth, not even trying to hide her rudeness. "I'll die before I go in there again."

"Were you so badly treated?" Adam raised an eyebrow, a look of genuine concern marring his face. "Was there anyone on the staff that abused you or made you feel inadequate? Please, tell me if there is something I can do."

"You were all very kind, but you tried to convince me that I belonged in St. Mildreds. Belonged in a mental institution." She paused to recover her train of thought, trying not to allow thoughts of her time there interfere with what she was trying to say. "I'm not crazy. The other world, the Gundam world does exist, and the things that I can do, jumping between worlds, it's all real."

"And what makes you so sure?" Adam leaned forward, and placed his hand over it. "What makes you so sure that you have these special powers?"

"I shared an… experience with another person in this world." Relena began quietly. "Someone who is completely sane, and who was as sceptical as yourself about my abilities…. Until I proved to him just how real they are."

"You can really make the jump between worlds?" Adam asked, and when Relena nodded, his shoulders slumped forward. "It's against my better judgement, but I'm going to trust you. You can stay with these people if you promise to check in every once in awhile. I'll deal with the necessary paperwork to release you completely from St. Mildreds."

Relena nodded, completely ecstatic with the news. She graciously waved Adam off when he took his leave of her, and all but skipped back to the apartment that Duo and Heero shared. When she got there however, her mood faded, and she found herself standing outside the apartment building, unsure whether she should go in or not.

As it turned out, the decision was made for her as Duo strolled out the door, his hair sexily mussed, and his clothes wrinkled. "Hey Lena!" he called, rushing across the street to see her. "I wondered where you had got to." He looked her over appraisingly, noting to clothes she wore, and let out a low whistle. "You talked to Heero, didn't you?"

Relena nodded, the hurt and resentment that she had felt this morning, remerging as she looked down at her clothes. The rejection still cut like a knife. Heero had wanted her this morning, but only because she'd looked like the woman he loved. It was hard to get past that.

Duo noticed the look on her face, and glanced up at the apartment he shared with Heero, knowing that his friend would be watching them. "You wanna get away for awhile?" He asked softly, and when she nodded, he took her arm, leading her down the street. "I'm heading to work. It's not the funnest place in the world, but it's not bad, the people are really nice there. We could stop and pick up a book or something on the way there, and you could read it while I slave away at the counter." He grinned his oh-so-familiar grin at her, and she felt her heart break a little. He was so much like the Duo from her world.

Then, linking her arm in his, she let him lead her through the maze of streets, listening to his commentary on the buildings they passed. She found herself relaxing as they made their way to his work, dodging people and traffic as they went, and when they had found her a novel that interested her, and a quiet spot at a table in the back of the shop, she realised something.

Heero or no Heero, she could make her life here.

Relena was so engrossed in her book that at first, she didn't notice that someone had taken a seat at her table, it wasn't until the intruder coughed that she realised that there was someone there. Shyly, she looked up, her nervousness dissolving as she looked into her best friend's face. She only just managed to stop herself from launching herself across the table to hug the other woman. Instead, she gave a warm smile and introduced herself.

"I'm Hilde," the pixyish girl replied, and held out her hand for Relena to shake. "I was surprised to see someone at this table. A guy who works here usually keeps it vacant for me."

"The one with the brown hair?" Relena asked, pointing at Duo who was hard at work behind the counter.

"Yeah, and the most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen," Hilde laughed, and tossed back her head to clear the hair from her eyes. "Do you know him?" She gestured vaguely with her cappuccino before setting it down. "They cute guy, I mean."

"Yeah," Relena watched as the other girl's eyes clouded with disappointment, and quickly kept going. "We've been friends for a little while now, and I was down on my luck, so he let me live with him. His name's Duo."

Hilde grinned. "I might impose on you for an introduction later," she shrugged her shoulders, and reached for Relena's book, never even considering that it could be considered rude. "So what are you doing in here, and reading this cheap romance for?"

It was Relena's turn to shrug as she reclaimed her book, and set it in her newly bought bag. "I guess I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with my life. I've been sick for a long time, and now that I've recovered sufficiently, I've found that I'm unprepared for anything that this world has to offer."

Hilde nodded sympathetically, and then tapped her finger against her chin as she thought about what they could do. "Well, first you're going to need some kind of cash flow," she explained, hr mind at work as she tried to think of places that were hiring at the moment. "And then you're going to need to find a permanent place to stay."

"Is that hard?" Relena asked, and Hilde shot her a conspiratorial grin.

'Usually, yes, it is, but you've got Lady Luck on your side this time. Normally I wouldn't offer this to someone who I just met, but I figure that you need the support. Plus," Hilde grabbed Relena's hand and pulled her toward the front counter. "I like you, and that definitely counts for something."

"Hey Duo!" Hilde called when they reached the counter, pulling Relena up beside her. "Can you take a break for a couple minutes?"

Duo looked at her, his expression as perplexed as Relena's was, but he nodded, and followed them back to Hilde's regular table. "What's going on, Lena?" He asked, shooting a concerned look at her, and wondering if it had been a mistake to bring her here. "Is everything alright?"

"No, it's not." Hilde said quickly, and Duo's eyes snapped to the pixyish girl. "Relena needs a job, and a permanent place to stay. She needs to find a place in this world." Hilde squeezed her new friend's hand for support. 'And then, once she has some stuff to fall back on, she can start thinking about taking classes or something."

"Sounds like a plan," Duo nodded and ran his hand through his hair. "But this couldn't wait until after my shift?"

Hilde shrugged. "I suppose it could have, but I wanted to see if you were okay with it before I helped Relena move in." She caught Duo's look, and laughed. "She can move in with me. She's looking for a place to stay, and I'm looking for someone to split the rent with. If you help us move her stuff, she can move in today."

"I don't have anything other than what's with me," Relena said softly, and Hilde gaped at her.

"For real?" Hilde shook off her shock, and laughed again. "Wasn't expecting that one. You can share some of my clothes until you can afford your own." She turned back to Duo. "Is that okay with you, sport?" She asked as she handed him a piece of paper with her address and phone number on it, and when he nodded, she turned back to Relena.

"Come on then. Let's get you settled in," Hilde tugged on Relena's hand and helped her pack her book into her bag. "Hey, Duo… Why don't you come by tonight? Just to make sure Relena's all settled in and stuff." Duo looked to Relena, who smiled and nodded.

"Sounds great," he smiled and hugged his angel. "Good luck, Lena."

Heero was pacing around the apartment when Duo got home from work. "Where the hell is she?' He snapped, not caring if he was being crude. "I know she left with you, Duo. So where is she now.?" He opened their apartment door, and peered out into the hallway as if expecting her to appear at any second.

"She's at a friend's place." Duo explained, with just a hint of a sigh in his voice. He went into his room, and started digging through the dirty heaps of laundry. One day, he promised himself, he was going to shovel through this crap and discover what colour his floor was. "Do you need the shower?"

"She doesn't have any friends." Heero snapped, and continued his pacing, pausing for a second to pick up a towel and toss it at his friend. "Where the hell is she, Duo?"

"No?" Duo smirked, and grabbed the towel out of the air. "Okay, so shower's mine now, and you can use it after. Wouldn't want to smell when we went to see Relena. No, sir." He gasped as Heero grabbed the back of his shirt, and pulled him back from the tiny bathroom. "What do you want, Heero?" His voice was almost a whine as he slapped his friend's hand away. "You never cared about her before. You would go out of your way to hurt her before. So why the sudden concern?

"I want her out of my head," Heero growled, releasing Duo, and moving to run his hands over the sketchbook he hadn't touched since Relena had entered his life. He turned back to face Duo. This wasn't his fault after all. "Hurry up with the shower then," he ordered with something close to a smile. "If you're not out in ten minutes, I'm turning off the hot water."

Duo gave a little wave before he disappeared into the bathroom, and Heero turned back to his sketchpad. There was dust on the cover, but he didn't bother to brush it off as he opened the tattered book. He'd had this sketchbook since he started college, and if one with a trained eye looked at it, they would see his entire life spread before him.

The ordinary and simplistic pictures that he had started with, to the detailed, realistic pieces the book ended with. You could see his moods as easily as you could see the skill of the drawings. When Sylvia had still been alive the drawings were filled with light and laughter. A child smiling, a young couple on the beach, but then the images, the ideas behind the art had changed. With Sylvia's death they had become darker, bloodier, haunting.

There was no laughter in his later sketches, no light. Only a darkness that mirrored the feelings in his soul. That's why he was having so much trouble with his final project for his art course. His teacher knew about Sylvia of course, the whole faculty did. She had been the most promising student that the college had had in years, and her sudden demise had shocked people. They also knew of the trouble that he was having moving on. A year had past, but he was no better than he had been a day after she had died.

So his professor had given him a special assignment. One that was different from what the other students were doing. She wanted him to a painting for her, and it was to reflect the light of the world. Heero's hand tightened around the book for an instant. There was no light in his world now.

On an impulse, he slipped his sketchbook and pencils into his bag just as Duo exited the bathroom. "It's all yours," he gestured grandly before moving into his bedroom.

Heero entered the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror, and analysing his features as he had been taught to do years ago. Anyone with half a brain would see the pain there, the lines on his face, and the dark smudges under his eyes. He cursed his professor for giving him such an impossible assignment as he stripped out of his clothes and shut the door.

The light of the world, he mused, turning on the cold water full blast, letting the initial shock clear his mind, and wash away his pain. What light was there now that Sylvia was gone?

Relena couldn't sit still. She knew that he was coming, and wondered what he would see now that she had changed out of Sylvia's hand-me-downs into one of Hilde's slinky dresses? Would he finally se her as the woman she was or would he continue to see her as the shadow of his dead lover?

She smiled at Hilde as the spunky young woman entered the room, but didn't stop pacing. She wondered if Hilde felt any nervousness about Duo coming. If she did, the pixyish woman didn't show it. She lounged on the couch, her face the very essence of indifference. "Sit down, Lena," Hilde laughed, patting the cushion beside her. "You're going to wear a hole in the floor."

"How can you be so relaxed?" Relena asked, envious of the other woman's composure. "Aren't you nervous at all?"

Hilde laughed again, tossing back her hair and gently drawing her newfound friend to the couch. "There's nothing to be nervous about. All that's happening is a couple of your friends are coming over to check out your new place. That's hardly cause for a nervous breakdown."

"You're right," Relena swallowed hard as someone knocked on the door, and steeled herself for what was to come.

Hilde was right, why was she so afraid of facing them? Duo would never judge her, and Heero… well Heero had made his thoughts quite clear about her. She knew exactly what would happen tonight so there was absolutely nothing to fear. Duo and Heero would look around the apartment, they would go out for some dancing, and after she made sure that Duo and Hilde hooked up, she would make her exit.

All thoughts and fears were pushed away as Duo's arms came around her in a bear hug. "Lena, babe," he smiled at her, and Relena felt herself relax in his comfortable embrace. "Show me around the apartment."

Hilde was quick to intercede, grabbing Duo by the arm, and leading him away. When he shot her a look, Hilde smiled and grinned at him. "I just wanted to give her and that other guy a chance to be alone. She's been agonising over seeing him since we left the coffee shop." She noticed the look on Duo's face and her smile fell. "Is something wrong?"

"Let's just say that Heero and Relena don't have the healthiest of relationships. It's one of the reasons that I thought it would be so good for her to move in with you. So they wouldn't be in each others' faces all the time."

"Well," Hilde shrugged and glanced over her shoulder. "Healthy relationship or not, I think they need some time. Let's just give them five minutes or so. Nothing will happen, and if Relena needs us, we won't be far." She waited until Duo smiled and nodded before leading him away, throwing one last glance over her shoulder and wishing her friend luck.

Relena watched as Hilde and Duo left her, the fear that she had felt earlier returning in full force. "Heero," she nodded self consciously. "How are you?" She watched as his gaze flickered downwards over what she wore, and then back up to her face.

"Why don't you just read my mind, and tell me?" He tossed out, throwing himself on the couch opposite her. "You can do that, right?"

"I figured that you would prefer me asking instead of just…" she searched for the word that he had used earlier, "…invading your mind." With an air of nonchalance, she sat beside him, keeping a careful distance between them. "Have you been practicing blocking my presence?" When he didn't answer, she moved closer to him, placing her hand over his as she gently probed the barriers that he had thrown up. "You're remarkably good at this," she smiled sadly at the instant frown that appeared at her words. "Whether you want to be or not."

She almost sighed with relief when Duo and Hilde re-entered the room, and moved away from Heero to join them. "It's a nice place," Duo winked at her and held her hand. "Much better than ours." He admitted sheepishly, and led the two girls to the door, waving a hand at Heero. "Come on. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can dance."

Relena felt more than a little out of place at the smoke-filled bar that Duo took them to. When she thought of dancing, she thought of waltzes, ballrooms, and gorgeous dresses. She had no idea what to do in this tiny club where the women were scantily clad and the men had no problem with touching the woman more intimately then she was used to.

Duo led them all to a small table in the corner and ordered a round of drinks. "What do you think, Lena?" He asked as he held Hilde's hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, and couldn't help smiling when she moved closer to him.

"I don't know," Relena answered truthfully, shrugging her shoulders. "I've never been in a place like this before, and it's…. a lot different from what I'm used to."

"I know how we can fix that," Duo pulled Hilde out of the booth, and led her out onto the dance floor. "Dance with her, Heero!" He called back over his shoulder, and swung Hilde into the crowd of dancers, disappearing from sight.

Heero sighed, and grudgingly held out his hand to Relena, glaring at her when she pushed it away. "Don't let him pressure you into dancing with me," she said quietly, turning away from him to scan the crowd. "I'm sure that I can find someone else."

"Like hell you will," Heero snapped, and pulled her onto the dance floor, not giving her time to protest before he wrapped his arms around her. Relena blushed as he placed his hands on her hips, guiding them in circular motions as he pulled her hard against him.

"Heero," she began to protest, to move away, but he held her firm. "Why are you doing this? Why are you being nice?"

"The hell if I know," Heero shook his head, and moved his mouth close to her ear. "I can't seem to get you out of my head. Why do you think that is?"

"Your barriers are holding up fine…" Relena trailed off, all thoughts leaving her mind as Heero nipped at her neck.

"You know I'm not talking about that," Heero turned her around, and traced her lips with a finger. He leaned in, his mouth capturing hers, and she clung to him, letting his closeness wash over her. She had wanted this ever since she had woken up in the hospital that first time. She had needed…

_What is she doing to me? Is she controlling me? _

The thought drifted through her mind, and she knew that it wasn't hers. She jerked away from him furious with herself for believing that he had begun to understand her. But no, he simply thought that she was forcing him to do her bidding.

He'd noticed the look on her face, and she could hear his thoughts as he watched her. He thought that she'd been using her powers on the people who were close to her… Duo, Hilde, himself. He thought it was suspicious that people trusted her so easily, so quickly. Tears welled in her eyes as she registered his thoughts.

Is that what he thought of her? Someone who would manipulate the thoughts of other people in order to get her own way? The club suddenly felt too small, and she felt like she would die if she didn't get some fresh air. She pushed past him, knowing he would feel the full force of her thoughts in that brief moment of contact.

"Relena…" He began and reached for her, but she moved away, shaking her head slightly.

"There's nothing to explain," she said, and then vanished into the swirl of bodies.

TBC


End file.
